Unfortunately the road from Colon to the National Park was of the busy, belorried variety, much like the infamous road into Cordoba, although this time, thank goodness, there was an emergency lane to the side of the road for both my convenience and that of truck drivers responding to urgent calls of nature. It wasn't much fun, but at least this time I had a hard shoulder to cry on. (I've been saving that one specially.)

Even though I had to relive the miserable road the next day (in the opposite direction), it was worth it, the reward being this national park, which as the name suggests, has been reserved for its vast population of palm trees. And I do love palm trees. To me, they look like tall, skinny people with funky haircuts, dancing (perhaps I really have been doing too much cycling). Sadly the campsite in the park was full of schoolchildren, and I hate schoolchildren, I'd never become a teacher, to be honest, who would, you'd have to be crazy.

My plan for the next day was to cross into Uruguay, stay there the night and then get the bus to Montevideo, the capital, to meet my relative Pablo.